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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) | Ministry of Science & Technology | Department of Health Research (DHR) | Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Six years after declaring COVID-19 a global emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the world’s preparedness as a mix of significant advancements and dangerous vulnerabilities. While concrete steps have been taken to strengthen defenses, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns that progress is “fragile and uneven”. A major concern is the shifting of global funding away from health toward defense and national security, which risks undermining the systems built during the pandemic.
Institutional and Legal Milestones The global health architecture has seen several landmark developments aimed at preventing a repeat of the COVID-19 crisis:
The WHO Pandemic Agreement: Adopted in May 2025, this historic accord establishes a comprehensive framework for prevention, preparedness, and response.
The Pandemic Fund: Cofounded with the World Bank, it has provided over $1.2 billion in grants, catalyzing an additional $11 billion to support projects in 98 countries.
Enhanced Surveillance: WHO’s Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence now uses AI to support over 110 countries in identifying threats via the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system.
Genomic Sequencing: Global capacity has surged, with the International Pathogen Surveillance Network helping 110+ countries track high-potential pathogens.
What is the status of the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system in 2026? The PABS system is a critical annex to the WHO Pandemic Agreement currently under negotiation. It aims to ensure that when countries share pathogen samples and genetic data, they receive equitable access to the resulting vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. Finalizing this system is the last major hurdle before the Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature and entry into force as binding international law.
Policy Relevance
The 2026 assessment marks a transition from emergency response to institutionalized pandemic governance.
Decentralized Manufacturing: Initiatives like the mRNA technology transfer hub in South Africa and the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing in South Korea are shifting production capacity to the Global South to ensure more equitable access to medical countermeasures.
National Institutionalization: 121 countries have now established dedicated national public health agencies for emergency resilience, up significantly since 2020.
Anticipatory AI Ethics: The use of AI in epidemic intelligence (EIOS) necessitates new policy frameworks to manage “information voids” and infodemics without compromising privacy or freedom.
Sustaining Political Will: The “shortsighted” trend of reducing health aid in favor of defense spending threatens the viability of 2026-27 core health budgets, which currently have a 15% funding gap.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can governments create ‘protected’ health funding silos that remain resilient to the fluctuating priorities of national security and defense budgets?
Follow the full news here: Six years after COVID-19’s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic?